For the Better
by Assemble-the-Avengers
Summary: He was focused on the girl on the other side of the recovery room; She had stayed with him after he had blacked out. In that moment, Johnny Storm decided he no longer needed the hardly dressed girls that were probably waiting in front of the building with cameras and pens in their hands in case the Fantastic Playboy asked for their number. Johnny/OC
1. Chapter 1

Johnny Storm thrust his arm out toward the Doom Bot approaching him, taking it out with a stream of lava. He turned back to the group of civilians huddled together behind him.

"I could use some help, Sue!" he shouted in frustration as he herded them away from the burning debris.

"I'm a bit busy Johnny!" she screamed back, disappearing in the next second to avoid getting crushed by a horde of robots. He groaned pushing one of the more stubborn people out of the way as a few of the mechanical opponents that had been fighting Susan moved on to him. They slowly surrounded him, making an indiscernible combination of beeps and clicks as they prepared to shoot the super hero sky high.

The ever present flame crept up his arms, engulfing the rest of his body within seconds. He waited until the last second to take to the air, and the robots ended up blowing each other to pieces. From his vantage point in the air, he could see the battlefield the street had become. Ben was taking on a squadron as far away from the buildings as he could lure them. Sue was nowhere to be seen but was undoubtedly watching Reed's back as he decapitated the technical enemies with a stretched out arm wrapped around their nonexistent necks.

As the arrogant hero tried to decide where he was needed most, a shrill scream echoed through the smoke and mechanical creaks and groans and explosions. He tuned his flaming ears to the sound and shot off in the general direction. He scanned the destroyed city for the source of the cry, zeroing in on the young woman cornered against the wall of a small shop. Three Doom Bots surrounded the helpless girl, with guns aimed toward her. Johnny didn't pause to resent the enemy for targeting a civilian, zooming through the air toward the damsel in distress instead. Isolating the flame to his back, he shielded the terrified woman with his body, curling himself around her as they fired. His body jerked slightly as the lightning bolts collided with his back, fizzling out within seconds of impact. Balls of magma shot away from his skin, blowing up the few robots that had tried to take out the woman who was cowering in his arms. The girl looked up at him with wide blue eyes, scoffing gently at the dazzling smile he shot her, even while injured.

The Human Torch was no different than he appeared on TV.

But he had still saved her.

The flame died out in the next second along with the man who had saved her. She caught him as he collapsed forward; sitting him down on the scorched ground against the wall she'd been cornered against minutes earlier. The Invisible Woman faded in beside her unconscious brother, instantly reaching out to track his pulse. The civilian remained crouched down beside her savior, watching the blonde hero fuss over her brother.

"Reed!" she called worriedly. "Who are you?" she asked the shocked looking girl on the other side of Johnny. She stared blankly at the only female member of the Fantastic 4 for a minute while her muddled brain processed.

"Piper." She answered finally. "Woodard." She added after a moment. Susan Richards nodded once, taking Piper's hand in hers with a gentle touch.

"He burned you." Susan deduced, waving Ben Grimm over.

"He saved me." Piper corrected, looking around them for the first time since she'd been surrounded. Shorted out or broken Doom Bots littered the pavement all over the place; not a single one remained intact.

The stone hero padded towards them orange eyes flitting between the two siblings. Reed rushed up behind Ben, dropping to his knees next to his teammates head.

"His back." Piper offered helpfully, still staring with glazed eyes.

"Get her back to the lab, Ben. She's in shock. Reed will have to take a look at that burn too." Susan ordered, eyes remaining trained on her little brother.

Reed pulled Johnny forward so that he was sitting up, and examined his back. The girl had been right. Johnny's back was entirely scorched – how, Reed wasn't sure. – the Human Torch didn't burn.

"Doom Bot." he realized angrily, hefting his brother and law onto his shoulder. Ben effortlessly picked up the nearly unconscious civilian, holding her loosely so as not to crush her.

Johnny's blue eyes flew open and he scrambled around in the bed for a minute, trying to gain his bearings. The dull grey walls and endless machinery suggested Baxter Building. His sister's worried gaze filled his vision and he sighed.

"Hey Susie." He groaned, collapsing backwards. He hissed as a stinging pain spread across his back.

"You got burned by three Bots." She explained.

"You miss me?" he teased, eyes shut.

"I didn't." a gravelly voice interrupted.

"No one asked you, brick head." Johnny replied irritably. "We know why I got burned?"

"I ran a few tests and I'm thinking that the combined heat of the lighting and fire surpassed that of even your…" Reed interceded.

"You got too hot." Susan translated.

"Ah." Johnny acknowledged, sitting up slowly. He looked around the lab, freezing at the sight of a familiar girl, sleeping soundly in the opposite corner of the room.

"Piper Woodard." Ben told him, eyeing him as suggestively as a rock could as if to say, '_Pretty, right?'_

_ "_She was sitting with you when we found you unconscious." Sue added.

"She was in shock when we brought her back to treat a few burns and she panicked a bit." Reed told him.

"So your brilliant sister sedated the poor girl." Ben finished.

But the player didn't hear them. He was focused on the girl on the other side of the recovery room; her long blonde hair splayed out beneath her in soft waves, her long eyelashes casting shadows down her cheeks in the poorly lit room. She had stayed with him after he had blacked out.

In that moment, Johnny Storm decided he no longer needed the hardly dressed girls that were probably waiting in front of the building with cameras and pens in their hands in case the Fantastic Playboy asked for their number.


	2. Chapter 2

Piper Woodard's ice blue eyes blinked rapidly as she adjusted to the harsh light beating down on her. She jumped, shooting into a sitting position when she noticed the five pairs of eyes staring down at her. Johnny Storm was watching her with a look that was calculative and thoughtful and changed to an unaffected, amused look when she met his gaze. Ben watched her with a gentle arm wrapped around a dark skinned girl that Piper recognized as Alicia from the news. Susan was watching her with a slightly anxious stare. And finally, the last set of eyes - Reed - was watching her as if she was a science experiment.

"How you feeling, ma'am?" Ben asked in his deep voice, realizing how awkward the poor girl must've felt with a pack of superheroes staring at her.

"What am I doing here?" she asked instead. Sue glared at Johnny and he raised his hands in surrender, pushing off the wall.

"Johnny burned you while he was saving you." Reed answered

"On _accident." _Johnny whined defensively, holding out a glass of water to the blonde in the makeshift hospital bed.

"Thanks." She muttered. He winked suggestively at her, leaning back against the wall.

"I'm just going to take one more look at your arms and then you're free to go." Reed told her, smiling warmly as he stretched his arms towards hers.

"So, Piper, right?" Johnny asked with a flirty smile. Piper rolled her eyes at his antics, wincing when the scientist peeled the wrappings away from her arm. The playboy had the decency to wince along with her. "Sorry about that." He muttered sincerely. Ben's eyes widened and Sue's head whipped around to stare at him. "Yeah. I apologized. Don't get used to it." He grumbled.

"Don't worry about it, you saved me. Thanks for that by the way." Piper murmured quietly. Johnny tilted his head, falling silent for once.

A knowing smile lit up Alicia's face and she sat straighter to whisper something to Ben. The same smile was reflected in his stone features a second later and he leveled the player with a suggestive look. Johnny scowled and averted his eyes.

"You're good to go." Reed said suddenly, taping down the end of the gauze as he finished wrapping it around Piper's arms. She smiled shyly.

"Thanks guys." She said as she let Reed help her off the bed. "Oh, your clothes." She realized with an apologetic tone directed at Sue.

"Don't worry about it. I never liked that outfit much anyway." Susan smiled reassuringly. Piper smiled back.

"I'll walk you out." Johnny offered. His teammates smirked at each other, finding his rare behavior hilarious.

"Ok." Piper allowed. Heading towards the door, she glanced over her shoulder to find Johnny hot on her heels.

"You, me, eight o'clock tomorrow night?" he asked cockily.

"Goodbye, Johnny. Thanks again." Piper ignored his proposal, walking out of the Baxter Building.

"You wound my ego." He whimpered dramatically, clutching his chest.

"It's gonna take more than one little damsel in distress shooting you down Mr. Storm." She replied. "Nice meeting you." She concluded, hailing a taxi without another glance at the flirty super hero.

Johnny watched her go, a confused look on his face as he watched her nearly waist length hair float behind her. The door suddenly slammed shut in his face and he turned towards his stone friend with a bored expression.

"What?" he asked, walking towards the kitchen, flame licking at his fingertips.

"You like her." Ben stated.

"She was hot." Johnny agreed, throwing open the refrigerator door.

"No, you _really _liked her. We could all tell, kid." Ben taunted.

"Whatever, pumpkin head."

"I'm right and you know it, John. It's just too bad you ain't gonna see her again."

"Oh but I am, mega mountain." Johnny responded cockily, pulling a blue camouflage wallet out of his back pocket.

"You didn't." Ben sighed.

"Oh yes. I did." Johnny smirked, lighting an apple on fire before tossing it in the air.

"Put that out, hot shot." Ben chastised. Johnny caught it, letting the flame die out in his palm. "How're you gonna get a hold of her anyway?"

"Reed got her emergency information when he fixed her up." He smirked evilly, taking a big bite out of his apple and tossing it over his shoulder at his solid teammate.


	3. Chapter 3

**The chapters are going to be really short, but more frequent. Sorry:(**

"Let me get this straight." Gianna groaned again. Piper sighed, sitting back down on her best friend's bed. "Johnny Storm – as in the Human Torch who catches on fire because he's _hot- _saved you and asked you _out." _Piper nodded. "_AND YOU SAID NO?" _she screeched.

"I didn't exactly say no." the blonde winced.

"What's the worst that could happen, Pipes?" her voice going down a few octaves.

'Easy for you to say, G. You haven't had to say yes to a guy in ten years." Piper grumbled.

"Call him back, Pipe." Gianna sighed, holding out her phone to her friend. She held up a finger when she felt her phone start to vibrate in her pocket. Gianna groaned loudly, falling backwards on the bed.

"Speak of the devil." Piper muttered softly, looking down at her phone. "How did he even get my number?" she muttered. Gianna flew into a sitting position, looking back and forth between the phone and Piper.

"Is that _him?" _she gasped. Piper nodded. "Pick it up, or I will." She threatened affectionately. Piper sighed, holding the phone to her ear. "_Speaker phone." _Gianna mouthed. Piper rolled her eyes, hitting the speaker button and holding the phone out between them.

"Is this Piper Woodard?" a smooth voice drawled into the receiver.

"Depends on who's asking." She replied easily.

"Ouch." He hissed teasingly. "The Human Torch. We met the other day."

"Doesn't ring a bell." She responded with an uninterested tone. Gianna was covering her mouth, stifling giggles at her best friend's behavior.

"May or may not have saved your life?" he prompted.

"Nope."

"You walked away when I asked you out?" he tried exasperatedly.

"It's coming back." She allowed, unable to keep the amusement out of her voice any longer. "Johnny, right?" she murmured, giggling a little at his slightly put out tone.

"The very same. Hey, so you by any chance missing a wallet?" he asked in a voice that had Piper knowing she didn't have to look to be sure her wallet wouldn't be in her purse.

"Probably." She muttered lowly.

"Huh." He said with false surprise. "Well that's ironic. We've got one over at the lab. And I'm guessing…" he sang playfully. "That its yours."

"Ironic." She agreed sarcastically.

"So I was thinking we could meet at Sparks, at around seven, and I could give it back." The super hero suggested. Piper looked up at her friend who was nodding fiercely.

"I've seen how you are, Mr. Player. I'm not exactly looking forward to being another no name on your list." She denied. Gianna facepalmed.

"Give me a chance to prove you wrong, Miss Woodard. And if you're right, you take your wallet, and I never bother you again." He countered, voice sobering considerably. "Deal?"

"Deal. See you at seven Mr. Storm." She agreed reluctantly.

"At seven, Miss Woodard." He concluded triumphantly.

"What've I done…" Piper groaned once she'd hung up.

"Dress-up time." Gianna squealed loudly.

**PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE REVIEW, I REALLY APPRECIATE IT.**


	4. Chapter 4

**THANK YOU FOR THE REVIEWS. **

"No." Piper said finally, looking at the dress her best friend was lending her. Plunging necklines and short tulle skirts were not her forte. But the look Gianna was giving her _dared _her to contradict her.

"It's blue…" Gianna taunted. Piper rolled her eyes, holding her hand out for the dress. She slipped it on over the tank top she always, shutting her eyes as it slid down over her body. Gianna blew out a low whistle and Piper let one eye open hesitantly, glancing tentatively at herself in the mirror. She let her friend pull her towards the sink, sitting down on the counter while Gianna spread her makeup pallet out across the sink. Piper obediently kept her eyes closed while her brunette best friend coated her face in a light layer of makeup.

Just as she finished getting ready, a knock sounded on the door down stairs, sending Piper's eyes shooting wide open as she raced down the steps, smoothing out her waist length blonde hair as she sped towards the door.

"You wanna meet him?" the blonde offered to her friend who had paused at the top of the staircase. Gianna nodded enthusiastically, running to the bottom of the staircase, leaning coolly against the front door while her lucky best friend opened the door. "Johnny." She greeted. He took her hand in an overly cheesy fashion, kissing the back of the bemused girls hand.

"Piper." He responded. "And you are?" he asked, looking over the brunette who leaned against the door in shorts and a tank top.

"Gianna. I'm Piper's best friend." She answered, shaking the super heroes hand with expertly concealed excitement.

"Pleasure is all _yours, _ma'am." Johnny assured her, turning his attention back to Piper. "Ready to go?" he asked her. Both girls rolled their blue eyes at each other as they hugged each other goodbye.

"Be good, you too." She smirked, shutting the door behind Piper and her date. Piper slid into the Human Torch's undoubtedly expensive car, hardly buckling her seat belt before the player sped off.

"So can I have my wallet back?" she asked carefully.

"Nope." He smirked, turning the stereo up even louder than it already was. Piper crossed her arms over her chest bitterly, staring out the windshield, pretending not the notice the satisfied smile Johnny directed at her when the stopped at a red light. They pulled to a stop in front of a fancy looking restaurant that the artistic girl couldn't even say she had ever walked by. Johnny didn't hesitate to smoothly slide out of the car, pushing his aviator glasses down over his eyes with a cocky smirk at the flashing cameras and slutty girls that draped themselves over him. He extended a hand to his date, pulling her through the thick crowd he was so used to. Piper tilted her head down, allowing her hair to shield her face from view. Johnny Storm walked right through the restaurant as if he owned the place, and as far as Piper Woodard knew he may have. He sat down across from her a small two person table beside a window. She glared at him, completely uninterested.

"My wallet?" she prompted. He shook his head.

"Nope. How do I know you won't just up and leave?" he smirked. Piper gave up asking, accepting she would have to sit through the rest of the date.

She never thought she'd actually enjoy it.

"Your wallet, ma'am?" he called, leaning across the car to hand Piper the wallet through the car door.

"Thanks." She smiled, taking it without another word.

"What? No thank you kiss? No goodnight kiss?" he prodded playfully.

"Not tonight. It's gonna take more than one date." She smirked, pausing at the front steps.

"So you admit that was a date?" he grinned. She rolled her eyes. "Does that mean there will be more?" she smiled mysteriously.

"Goodnight Mr. Storm."

"Miss Woodard." He replied, pulling the door closed once she had disappeared into the house.

The player blew out a low whistle, shaking his head as he drove away. That girl was playing with his head. She was enjoying it. And even scarier, so was he.

**COULD OUR PLAYER BE ON THE VERGE OF CHANGING?**

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